


milk a cold; call a doctor

by carefulren



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fever, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, M/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Sick Character, Sick Tony Stark, Sickfic, Tumblr Prompt, Whump, i don't even know when this is set, i guess post infinity war 2 and everyone's okay and not talking about what happened??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-05-19
Packaged: 2019-05-08 19:54:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14701071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carefulren/pseuds/carefulren
Summary: Prompt: picture! the rest of the avengers (or one of your choosing) think tony is milking a cold and he gets so tired of the accusations that he just decides to power through... something? battle, gala, workin on stuff for them? but strange knows better and is kinda pissed tbh when he feels the fever tony's running??





	milk a cold; call a doctor

Tony steps into the conference room late, sniffling against a persistent twitch in his nose, one that’s been a staple feeling over the past few days.

He’s been battling a cold, and he can’t quite seem to shake it, feeling worse with each passing day instead of better. It started as nothing more than a nuisance, but now his temples are throbbing, his throat feels prickly, and he’s drained, as if he hadn’t gotten a full night’s sleep.

He forgoes a chair, opting instead to lean against a section of the wall farthest away from the team Steve has assembled, and he presses a knuckle to his nose, face falling slack until he sneezes rapidly four times, each one driving a drill of pressure behind his eyes.

“Still, Stark?”

There’s something in Quill’s tone that has Tony dragging a narrow gaze to him, wondering why the hell he was invited in the first place.

“Still?” Tony repeats, a dangerous tone hidden behind the congestion distorting his words. “What do you mean ‘still?’”

Quill only shrugs, and Tony sighs deeply, shoulders sagging some until Rocket clarifies.

“You’re milking that cold for all it’s worth, huh?”

“Rocket,” Gamora warns quietly while Drax tilts his head.

“How do you milk a cold?”

“Okay, everyone,” Steve tries, with Sam rolling his eyes beside him. “Let’s get back on track. Tony?”

Tony only nods for Steve to continue as he crosses his arms to ward off a sudden chill clinging to his bones. He can feel Stephen’s gaze on him from across the room, but he chooses to ignore it as Steve takes control of the room.

“We need to head to Wakanda for training. Some of you will be getting advanced weapons designed with vibranium, and you will need to practice with them.”

Steve’s words start to sound muffled to Tony’s ears, his focus solely on digging his fingers into his arms as if to keep his shaking limbs steady, but all too soon, he’s being addressed once more, and he blinks slowly, pulling a hazy gaze to Steve.

“What?”

“I asked if you were okay to go? Shuri could use you in the lab.”

Tony considers declining because he feels like a sub-definition of hell, but Sam scoffs at Steve’s side.

“C'mon, Stark. Stop milking this cold and come build us some weapons.”

“Sam–”

“I’ll go,” Tony says flatly, interrupting Steve. He pushes off the wall and starts toward the door despite his wavering vision. “I’m leaving in 10 with or without you all.”

*****

Tony sleeps on the ship to Wakanda, which proves to be frustratingly difficult with Quill and Rocket improving a game of karaoke. He guesses he gets around two hours of shut eye, but all too soon, they land in Wakanda, and after a few greetings, Tony declines a meal, lying of a big lunch, and follows a few guards to Shuri’s lab, surprised the young girl even allowed him to go alone in the first place.

The lab’s impressive, and Shuri already has a section set up for him with all the necessary tools. He takes a seat, bones almost sighing in relief, and gets to work, hoping to finish soon enough so he can rest the remainder of the trip.

He works for an hour, progress slow-moving because of his constant coughing and sneezing, and his frustration bleeds out into narrow eyes when his focus wavers from a pounding headache and his hands shake from a deep-set of chills, making work all the more difficult.

He breathes out another shaky sigh for the umpteenth time when something warm and thick drapes over his trembling shoulders. He spares a glance down to see red and moves his eyes back to his work.

“Strange.”

There’s a long pause before a deep vibrato echoes from the doorway.

“Stark.”

“What do you want?” Tony asks while studying a trigger of a vibranium gun. He feels a light brush of wind and then Stephen is beside him, leaning against the side of his desk with a frown.

“To see how you’re doing.”

“Fabulous,” Tony says flatly, a weak cough sneaking in and leaving him groaning lightly.

“Why did you come? You’re clearly sick.”

Tony’s hand tightens around the weapon. “Am I? Really? Because according to the others, who clearly know my well-being more than I do, I’m faking this.” His knuckles begin to turn off-white, and he relaxes his hand, setting the gun down with a sigh.

Stephen rolls his eyes and leans over, pressing the back of one hand to Tony’s cheek. He expects a slight warmth, but what he doesn’t expect is a concerning heat that instantly warms the backs of his fingers.

“Tony, you’re burning up.” Stephen notes as he pulls his hand away, and Tony only flicks a gaze to him with an arched brow.

“We are moving to first names now?”

“This is serious,” Stephen says with a faint huff. “You should be in bed at the tower, not hunched over a desk in a different country.”

“You don’t say,” Tony says, feigning ignorance, but Stephen doesn’t crack, his face a wave of muted anger.

“Why are you mad?” Tony presses. 

“Your friends are idiots,” Stephen says, and before Tony can reply, Stephen blinks out of the room, leaving Tony alone with the cloak.

He pulls at it slightly, wrapping it a little tighter around his trembling frame, and moves back to his work, but only ten minutes in, his eyes are drooping, heavy lids pulling down as darkness creeps at the edges of his vision.

*****

When Tony wakes, he’s in his bed at the tower, and for a moment, he considers the trip to Wakanda a detailed dream stemmed from his fever, but the events are a clear patch in his otherwise muddled mind. He pries his eyes open with a harsh cough and stares at the ceiling with a frown.

“How are you feeling?”

Stephen’s deep voice comes from beside his bed, and Tony looks toward him, brows furrowed.

“I told you that I don’t like that teleportation shit.”

“You were unconscious. And, it’s easier to treat you here. I know where everything is.” 

"I was just asleep.”

“No, Stark,” Stephen starts, eyes colored with a hint of concern. “I couldn’t wake you when I went back for you. When I got you here, you were pushing a fever of 103.”

Tony’s eyes widen slightly in surprise, and he holds Stephen’s gaze for an extended moment.

“I also don’t like when you pull your medical degrees on me.” He decides with a breath of a smirk painted across his lips. 

“Well, I don’t like when you’re unconscious in a foreign country.”

Tony breathes out a huff of a laugh. “That’s specific.”

“Shut up,” Stephen says before nodding to his cloak, which moves from the back of a chair to Tony’s bed, spreading out and covering him.

The added pressure and warmth is oddly comforting, and Tony can feel his eyes drooping.

“So what’s the diagnosis, Doc? Will I make it?”

“You will if you shut up and go to sleep.”

“Where’s the compassion in bedside manner nowadays?”

Stephen sighs and leans forward, smoothing a large, cool hand to Tony’s heated forehead.

“Shut up and go to sleep… please?” 

Tony laughs at this, a laugh laced with a few coughs.

"Fine.”

**Author's Note:**

> Just a prompt written for a sweet soul on tumblr! 
> 
> Feel free to come say hi! (@toosicktoocare)


End file.
